Performances

Tune of the Day: Eternal Father, Strong to Save

aka The Navy Hymn, arranged for two flutes

This hymn was written by William Whiting of Winchester, England, in 1860, as a poem for a student of his, who was about to travel to the United States. In 1861, John B. Dykes, an Anglican clergyman, composed a tune named “Melita” for this hymn. “Melita” is an archaic term for Malta, an ancient seafaring nation and the site of a shipwreck involving the apostle Paul mentioned in the Bible.

The hymn, found in most hymnals, is known as the “Navy Hymn” because it is sung at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is also sung on ships of the Royal Navy, and has even been translated into French.